CDHP Health Reform Dental Check-up

Obama Appeals to Bipartisanship; Health Budget Released
The Latest Updates on Oral Health From Capitol Hill
 February 5, 2010
In This Issue
Obama Appeals to Bipartisanship; Health Budget Released
Welcome to CDHP's Health Reform Dental Check-up!  We are excited to provide a regular update on what is happening on Capitol Hill related to oral health within the health reform debate.  We look forward to providing you with the information we hear and to hearing from you.  
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Founded in 1997, the Children's Dental Health Project is a national non-profit organization with the vision of achieving equity in children's oral health.  Children's Dental Health Project (CDHP) designs and advances research-driven policies and innovative solutions by engaging a broad base of partners committed to children and oral health, including professionals, communities, policymakers and parents.  We work to eliminate barriers to preventing tooth decay to ensure that all children reach their full potential.
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Obama Appeals to Bipartisanship;
Health Budget Released
  


President Obama last week called for bipartisanship on health reform, bringing his case to Baltimore for the Republican Caucus' annual retreat.  Meanwhile back in Washington, House and Senate Leadership came no closer to determining which procedural tool they will employ to pass comprehensive health care reform.  Congress shifted its focus by crafting legislation to create jobs; however, health reform discussions were not abandoned.  Lawmakers discussed how a jobs bill might incorporate health reform principles, such as an extension of the COBRA Program that provides health benefits to the unemployed.





The President also released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011, including his budget for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which funds many oral health programs run by the federal government.  While several cuts to the overall budget were announced, programs related to health and children generally fared well.  Specifically, the budget includes an increase of about $25.5 billion for Medicaid and nearly $1.4 billion for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).  Both programs include a mandatory pediatric oral health benefit.  The budget also envisions an $11 million increase for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant and an increase of $6 million for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Further details on the President's HHS budget can be found online.
 
In her testimony before the Senate Finance Committee regarding the federal budget, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius indicated that while the President has designated job creation and the economy as top domestic priorities, the passage of comprehensive health reform would support these goals by helping to create and save jobs.

Finally, yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the President's signing of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA).  This comes on the heels of an announcement that about 2.6 million previously uninsured children gained coverage in the last year.  Currently 40 million American children have coverage under Medicaid or CHIP.